If you missed out on Donny Cates and Ryan Ottley’s run on Hulk, fear not, as the second and final collection is out this week. Seemingly ended on short notice, the story lives up to much of the hype built up before it ever launched, thanks to a concept called Starship Hulk. This series is also an essential touchstone if you’re up for reading the new Incredible Hulk series, which made clear “Hulk Planet” matters.
Collecting Hulk #9-14, this collection features three issues exclusively written and drawn by Ottley as he attempts to wrap up Titan and introduce a planet of Hulks. The story opens with Bruce Banner undergoing some therapy, and in these moments, we realize how tightly the crazy sci-fi action is tied to Bruce’s emotionality and past.
There’s some fantastic character work in the first two issues of this collection. The development comes in flashbacks when Bruce is very young before his mother dies. We see the trauma he’s facing, the physical abuse, and his mother’s love. Through this love, Bruce learns the concept of strength in the face of adversity and awful abuse. One can see these deep memories fueling the rage of his adult and Hulk self.
Somewhat unfortunately, the concept of Titan feels a bit messy and unfinished. Introduced in the first volume, this is a monstrous creature with more power and rage than Hulk could ever conceive. At one point, we assume Bruce’s deep childhood pain is tied to Titan, but later we learn it’s something implanted in him rather than formed. The aid of magic also fuels Titan, which loops in Doctor Strange in the last half of the story. By the time you reach the final page, it’s pretty clear this idea never got fully fleshed out and is something to be explored later if another creative team decides to toy with it.
The flashbacks are meaningful and heartfelt.
Credit: Marvel
As for the sci-fi stuff, the actual Hulk planet is a neat concept. Their origin is tied to the brief miniseries that had Thor and Hulk fight, which is a clever way of building in a backstory for an entire people. Explaining their creation is intriguing, and it’s nice to know Hulk’s actions can help create people and society. That angle isn’t explored, but an interesting runoff from the bigger idea.
We also see a bit of the Hulk planet culture through sport. A big chunk of the story is devoted to a game of throwing an impossibly heavy core of a planet up into a belt of rocks hovering around the planet. Ottley draws the heck out of this sequence, making the sport easily understood and the violence that comes with it. This sequence is made more interesting thanks to the crew of Bruce Banners inside Hulk, which Ottley characterizes well and makes each look and act uniquely.
As far as conclusions go, there’s enough here to feel satisfied. I’d argue the Hulk planet and its people are rather cleaned out of continuity too quickly, and while Titan’s end feels too quick, given how much buildup there was, it’s still an ending to hang a hat on.
There was an obvious unforeseen creative upheaval that affected how Hulk Vol. 2: Hulk Planet wraps things up, but it’s still a worthy read for longtime Hulk fans. Between the inventive sci-fi and the clear attempt at giving us a satisfying ending, it’s a nice finish to a truly bold take on Hulk.
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